Pablo Neruda meets handwoven elegance in Swatti Kapoor’s SS’25 launch

Chennai, a city where tradition and modernity flow side by side like the Cauvery and the coast, is about to witness a new chapter in contemporary Indian fashion. Designer Swatti Kapoor brings her evocative Spring Summer 2025 collection to the city. Inspired by Pablo Neruda’s haunting poem Lost in the Forest, this collection isn’t just a seasonal offering—it’s a meditation on memory, nature, and identity.

Swatti Kapoor’s new collection channels Neruda’s poetic vision

“Neruda’s poem felt deeply personal—the quiet ache of memory, the pull of forgotten roots, and the beauty of nature as a space for reflection. It resonated with how I approach design—searching for softness, silence, and story within the fabric,” says Swatti.

Titled as a lyrical homage, the collection explores the emotional terrain of Neruda’s poetry through a carefully considered interplay of texture, tone, and textile. Echoing the poem’s imagery—where a simple twig becomes a symbol of memory and longing—Swatti uses earthy tones, botanical motifs, and airy silhouettes to bring the verse to life in wearable form.

“The silhouettes are fluid and layered—like soft echoes of movement through the forest. We worked with organic textures, tactile surfaces, and fine details like pintucks and patchwork to evoke nostalgia and intricacy,” says Swatti.

Crafted from an array of natural, handwoven textiles—including fine chanderis, yarn-dyed Bengal cottons, jamdani, and cotton-silk blends—the pieces embody Swatti’s signature commitment to sustainability and artisanal craftsmanship. With hand block printing, beaded embroidery, and textile manipulation techniques, each garment becomes a quiet storyteller.

“Storytelling isn’t always literal. It’s about feeling. We work with artisans whose hands carry memory and tradition—so their skill becomes part of the narrative. The clothes don’t shout—they whisper. But if you listen closely, they say something lasting,” she reflects.

Though Swatti has no direct roots in Chennai, she feels a strong aesthetic connection to the region. “The craftsmanship, the colour palette, the way Chennai blends heritage with progress—it mirrors our design values. South India’s artistry has always inspired me,” she says.

As Chennai continues to embrace nuanced, thoughtful design, this collection arrives as a seamless fit. It’s a timely reminder that style can be poetic, that garments can be vessels for memory, and that beauty often lies in the quietest details.

Price starts at Rs 15,000. At Evoluzione, 3 Khadar Nawaz Khan Road.

—manuvipin@newindianexpress.com

@ManuVipin